Don't Just Stand There

Gion's dormitory was located in a relatively secluded little building within the base.

She had just finished her routine meditation and bath. Draped in a silk robe, she walked to the window and pushed it open.

A cool night breeze rushed in, stirring her slightly damp black hair, which cascaded like a waterfall.

She gazed absentmindedly at the bright full moon in the sky.

For some reason, she thought again of the slash she had seen on Gigantia Island last month—just like the moon before her, cool, bright, and so light it seemed to carry not a trace of killing intent, yet containing the ultimate sharpness capable of cutting through everything.

"That realm..." she murmured, a trace of longing and... unwillingness flashing through her eyes. "When will I be able to reach it?"

The thought made her chest feel stifled.

Gion raised a hand irritably and ran it through her smooth hair.

Her strands slipped through her fingers like the finest silk, and a pleasant fragrance—a blend of bath soap and her unique natural scent—faintly spread through the cool air.

"Now I won't be able to sleep."

She shook her head and decided to take a walk, let the cold wind clear her mind, and calm her chaotic thoughts.

She casually picked up her beloved sword, Kompira, from its stand. With a flash, she vanished from the dormitory.

Gion had no particular destination. She simply wandered through the silent base beneath the moonlight.

When she unconsciously circled around to the path near the rear kitchen, her footsteps suddenly halted.

An extremely domineering, rich scent that had no business appearing in the dead of night forcefully invaded her nostrils.

It was not the ordinary smell of cafeteria food cooked in huge pots, but a... spicy, numbing aroma mixed with rich butter, powerful spices, and an ultimate freshness!

The scent was like a hand, forcibly stirring up an appetite she should not have had—and even more so, the vigilance of a rear admiral.

"The rear kitchen?"

Gion frowned slightly.

At this hour, the kitchen lights should have long been out.

Who dared be so bold?

Her figure moved, and she silently made her way toward the source in the rear kitchen.

"—Who's there?!"

The crisp shout exploded like a thunderclap on level ground.

Rayne's pupils abruptly contracted.

Damn it!

He cursed inwardly.

Tonight's hotpot had been too fragrant, and the sake had gone down too smoothly. He had gotten so immersed in it that he had actually relaxed his usual Observation Haki vigilance!

That voice... it was Rear Admiral Gion!

Why was this woman sneaking into the kitchen in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?!

Rayne's mind spun rapidly. Almost instinctively, he prepared to open his mouth and dump every bit of blame onto Smoker beside him—after all, that guy had promised to cover for him if anything happened.

However, just as he was about to speak...

"Whoosh—"

A faint sound of drifting smoke rang out.

Rayne whipped his head around, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

Smoker beside him had not shown the slightest concern for their "comradeship." The instant he heard the voice, his whole body had already transformed into a cloud of thick smoke and was slipping out through the crack in the half-open window!

What was even more infuriating was that, in the instant he turned into smoke and fled, the bastard still remembered to use his smoke to sweep up the packed lunchbox on the table that had been prepared for Hina!

Rayne instantly went numb.

"You bastard...!!" He was so furious he nearly cursed out loud. "You're the first one to run when something happens, huh?! Fine, run if you want, but you sure remembered the food for Hina! I'll settle this score with you when I get back!!"

In that brief moment of distraction, a tall, captivating figure had already slowly stepped out from the shadows at the kitchen entrance.

Gion wore a deep blue silk robe of exquisite quality. Its sash seemed to have been tied casually after her bath, and now hung loosely around her waist.

Her glossy black hair was not tied up as it was during the day. Still carrying the faint dampness from her bath, it fell casually over her shoulders.

A few mischievous strands, pressed against her fair, silky neck and the delicate collarbones faintly exposed by the robe after her brisk movement, made that patch of skin appear even more delicate, like the finest white jade.

By chance, a beam of cool moonlight spilled in through the half-open window and fell directly upon her.

The moonlight seemed to penetrate the already thin silk, vaguely outlining the breathtakingly perfect curves beneath the robe.

Without the restraint of her uniform or the majesty she carried during the day, Gion beneath the moonlight seemed less sharp and more languidly seductive in a way that made one's blood race.

That face was truly peerless.

Her features were exquisitely flawless, especially those phoenix eyes, slightly narrowed as she looked upon the mess covering the table. The shifting light in her gaze carried the fatal charm unique to a mature woman.

She stood there casually, one hand still resting on Kompira at her waist. Ultimate beauty and danger blended flawlessly within her, forming a unique aura that seemed to thicken the very air.

Though Rayne had lived two lives and prided himself on having seen it all, to the point that the faces of internet celebrities and goddesses had long since exhausted his sense of beauty—

The woman before him was a truly natural, peerless beauty who combined heroic grace with soft allure.

It was a fatal attraction that made your heart race despite knowing full well how dangerous she was.

For a moment, even Rayne's composure wavered, and he missed half a beat in his breathing.

The air seemed to freeze.

Gion's beautiful eyes merely swept over the steaming hotpot before glancing at Rayne. She took the initiative to speak.

Her voice was cool and pleasant, yet it carried an invisible pressure.

"Breaking into the rear kitchen without authorization, stealing ingredients reserved for officers, drinking late at night... Sergeant Rayne, any one of these charges would be enough to send you before a military tribunal. Go on, what do you have to say for yourself?"

After that brief lapse, Rayne had already recovered his usual calm.

Suppressing his contempt for Smoker's desertion at the critical moment, he put on an innocent smile. "Rear Admiral Gion, you misunderstand. This was actually all Smoker's—"

He had just been about to start making excuses and shove all the blame onto that "fugitive escaping punishment."

"What is this?"

Gion suddenly interrupted him. Her gaze fell upon the hotpot bubbling with red oil. Even she had never seen this style of cooking before.

"Reporting to the rear admiral," Rayne said, his mind racing as he immediately adopted a professional tone, "this is hotpot. A type of cuisine... capable of bringing out the freshness of the ingredients to the greatest extent."

As he spoke, Rayne frantically considered ways to escape.

Just then, Gion made a move he had never expected.

With a swish, she directly "snatched" the chopsticks from Rayne's hand before he had even had time to put them down!

Rayne: (・_・?)

Rear Admiral Gion simply held Rayne's chopsticks, casually stirred the pot, and precisely picked up a slice of meat drenched in spicy broth.

Under Rayne's dumbfounded gaze, her red lips parted slightly, and she placed the slice of meat... into her mouth.

The next second, Gion's beautiful eyes flew wide open!

The ultimate numbness, heat, freshness, and fragrance... several domineering flavors exploded across her taste buds at once!

The tenderness of the meat, the richness of the broth, the complexity of the spices... this unprecedented impact on her palate left her rooted to the spot.

Then, "Hiss—ha!"

The intense heat surged up a beat later. Even Gion's pretty face reddened from the sudden stimulation, and tiny beads of fragrant sweat appeared on her forehead.

Almost instinctively, she reached out, grabbed the cup of sake Rayne had just drunk from, and downed it without a second thought!

"Ha—!"

The crisp liquor suppressed the fiery heat, and an indescribable sensation of relief shot from her throat straight to the crown of her head!

Gion let out a long breath. Her eyes, misted over from the spiciness, narrowed slightly in comfort.

She seemed to have completely forgotten that she had come here to "catch someone."

The next second, beneath Rayne's thoroughly petrified gaze, Rear Admiral Gion naturally lifted the hem of her robe and sat down in the spot Rayne had occupied moments ago without the slightest concern.

Using Rayne's chopsticks again, she picked up another slice of meat. Without even looking at him, she gave an unquestionable order.

"What are you standing around for? Can't you see we're almost out of meat?"